David Lynn is already the answer to a reasonably tough golfing quiz question: who finished second at the 2012 US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island?

The last major is widely remembered for Rory McIlroy's peerless march to victory rather than who was placed immediately behind him. Lynn banked almost $900,000 (£580,000) for his efforts, as he finished eight adrift of McIlroy.

There was further proof that the 39-year-old Englishman relishes the big occasion on Thursday at Augusta. Lynn, making his Masters debut and featuring in only his third major as a professional, hit an impressive first round 68.

That score had Americans asking another question: Who is David Lynn?

"I have been a pro for 15 to 16 years so it has taken me a golfing lifetime to get here," said the Stoke-on-Trent born player, ranked 53rd in the world. "But you watch it so much on television, you come here and feel like you know the place.

"When I'm on my game I know I can compete on this sort of level. What happened at Kiawah confirmed that to myself. It gave me extra belief. Although McIlroy ran away with it, I was in an environment that I had not been in before and it gives you confidence."

His playing success aside, Lynn is otherwise famed for public and routinely bizarre pranks. The jolly japester of the links, perhaps. He became consumed by the craze of "planking" and once tweeted a photo of a testicle with a union flag embossed on it, after claiming he had produced "a new marking for my balls". His pink travel bag has "Lynn Dawg" stitched into it. Oh, and this season, he has joined the PGA Tour.

"It is like I have started my career again," Lynn said. "I'm enjoying what the PGA Tour has to offer. It has definitely given me a new lease of life."

If Lynn is to remain prominent in this, the 77th Masters, he will have highlighted the value of solid preparation. He played a pre-tournament practice round with two former champions, Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle, on the basis that what that British duo did not know about this famous venue was not worth knowing.

Lynn has Woosnam as a playing partner again for the opening two rounds. "He played well, he played very well," said Woosnam – who finished eight over par himself – of Lynn's opening round. "Considering it was his first round here he didn't do much wrong.

"We played nine holes against him and Jamie Donaldson, me and Sandy. And we halved. I was just telling him which spots to hit it to in these greens, knowing where the flags were going to be. Other than that the guy has practised himself, so I'm not taking any credit for it.

"He was very relaxed. He seems to have the right attitude. He doesn't get too upset by anything and he plays within himself all the time."

Lynn reached the turn in 33 but dropped a shot on the 10th. His recovery was instant, holing a wonderful 40ft birdie putt on the 11th and converting for the same from 5ft on 12. As Lynn picked up another shot, on 15, he suddenly sat two shots clear at the summit of the leaderboard. Fairytale stuff, indeed. An aberration followed on 17, where Lynn returned his second bogey of the day but not a significant enough one to blunt Lynn's positive mood.

"I was on the 9th and said to my caddie: 'We're leading the Masters.' He just smiled," Lynn said. "I would rather be in that position on Sunday afternoon.

"It is not a bad thing to lead the Masters, it is something to always look back on. But hopefully I can keep my name up there."

Lynn's four-under-par score was helped by the finding of 13 greens in regulation and 10 from a possible 14 fairways. He had only 27 putts. A sign of things to come had arrived on the 1st, where Lynn played a wedge from off the fairway to 8ft and duly holed for a birdie three.

As Lynn walked off the 18th, another Masters debutant, Donaldson, was celebrating a hole-in-one on the 6th. Experience? Maybe it is overrated.